Prologue

Writer’s POV

“What the hell Avani? You always knew about my passion, my dedication, and my duties towards my work? Now…why are you creating so much fuss about this now?” Rishabh asked her furiously.

“Yes…I always knew…I made sacrifices all along Rishabh…but why it’s always one-sided…and where I was here dying worrying for you…you were attending parties at your postings with girls hanging around your shoulder….Wow! Lt. Col. Rishabh Malhotra…Just wow!” Avani said clapping her hands in anger.

“Avani…you are again going on wrong paths…” Rishabh said glaring at her.

“Am I?” Avani asked her gritting her teeth. “If you can party hard. So what’s wrong with me going out with my girlfriends and having a few drinks? Is my life over marrying you…” Avani shouted.

“Avani…you crossed your limits last night…You knew your low tolerance for alcohol you still had the audacity to drink and were dancing like crazy…Where guys were trying to touch you. Did you even realize that?’ Rishabh shouted again.

“I was not drunk and I was fully aware of my surroundings while you…you let those sneaky bitches take pictures with you with their hands around your waist,” Avani said pointing it to the picture on phone.

“Avani…they are my fellow officers who fight with me on front…They are nothing more than that.” Rishabh said again while getting ready for going to Delhi Headquarters.

“Oh Yeah…right…then why do you think, the guys who were just dancing casually around me were trying anything? Did you think I would have…” Avani asked him in a sarcastic tone.

“Avani…you are crossing your limits..” Rishabh said holding her by the shoulders and looking in anger at her. His hold was tightened on her forearms while her eyes reddened with anger.

“Stop…you are hurting me…” Avani said wiggling in his hold teras flew from her eyes.

“Your words are hurting me more….” Rishabh said leaving her with a jerk. Anger blinded him and he didn’t realize that he was hurting her. He took a deep breath and roam his fingers from his hair to calm himself down.

Avani and Rishabh never thought they will ever face the day when they have to part their ways. But Fate again played its cruel role and drifted these two loving souls apart from each other. It started few days after their 7th wedding Anniversary. Five months back, Rishabh was posted back in Delhi after one and half years of long On field posting. Avani’s happiness knew no bounds when she learned that Rishabh is going to be with them for complete two long years. Unlike five year back when their twins were born and due to Rishabh’s continuous field missions, he visited them in Delhi for I’m his two months leave every year. but now Rishabh was with them.

But from last two months, things were not stable between Avani and Rishabh. Small fights which always ended up in intense love-making sessions turned into ugly arguments with no talk for days, sleeping in separate rooms. Anyone could have judged the coldness and bitterness in the environment around them.

Rishabh’s Mom and Dad both were in the US for Kriti...Rishabh's sister who was pregnant and the Doctor advised her to bed rest. They planned to return with Kriti in her 7th month and decided to deliver the baby here in India. Vivaan her husband too wanted their baby to be born in their hometown as his parents were natives of Delhi too. No one was there to meddle and make them understand how much they mean to each other and things were getting uglier day by day. Their bond was falling apart and every fight was bringing tiny cracks in their relationship.

One day they both lost their cool….and unaccepted words came from their mouth.

****

“Mumma….” Anaisha and Reyansh their 5-year-old twin girl and boy came running toward their Mom and hugged her tight. Seeing their panic-stricken faces, color drained from Avani and Rishabh's faces.

Did they hear all their talks?

“Papa…You can’t hurt Mumma…” Anaisha said glaring at her dad. Rishabh looked at her face and couldn’t hold any more anger and took Anaisha in his embrace. Both kids were darlings of their Mumma. As Rishabh was constantly posted outside, they were more of Mumma’s pets.

“Mumma and Papa were just playing along…Nothing else…” Avani lied to both of them and plastered her face with a fake smile to lighten the mood of her kids.

“Then why are you crying?” Reyansh asked wiping her Mumma’s tears.

“Oh! I am not crying…Papa turned into a tickle monster and tickled me and my tears came out while laughing hard…” Avani said lifting Reyansh in her hands and signalling Rishabh to support her.

“Mumma is right…baby...” He said looking at both the kids.

“Okay…come Anaisha we will play outside with Bruno…” saying, they both left the room holding hands with each other. Their 5-year-old kids were smarter and wiser than they sense something was wrong.

After they left, Rishabh turned around and Avani looked at him.

“I need DIVORCE Rishabh and that’s final!” Avani said with a firm voice and left Rishabh in utter shock. Rishabh felt like Ice cold bucket of water was poured on top of his head.

“What did you say?” Rishabh asked her again going behind her and grabbing her right wrist.

“You heard it right…Divorce…” Avani said and jerked off her hand from his hold. She turned around and a flood of tears escaped her eyes while leaving the room.

“I am sorry...” She mumbled wiping her tears and ran downstairs to check up on her kids.

Her words echoed in Rishabh’s ears and he closed his eyes unable to understand, what exactly went wrong and when?

Avani was looking at her kids blankly thinking about the words she just spits out in front of Rishabh. The phone's vibration brought her back to the world. She unlocked her phone and a gasp of fear left her mouth. With trembling hands, she looked at the message and texted back…

“Please give me some more time…”

Characters :

Rishabh Malhotra: A major of Eastern Command Paramilitary force, a defense Hacker, devilishly handsome guy.

Avani Mehra: A beautiful girl from Pune, Basketball champ, singer-dancer, and Senior Analyst in the Finance department of MNC Delhi

Smriti Shah: A best friend from school and an Office colleague of Avani.

Vikram, Rehaan, Kabir: Best Friends of Rishabh since school and also Military Personal along with Rishabh.

Rajeev Malhotra: Deputy General in Indian Army and Rishabh’s Father.

Neetu Malhotra: Rishabh’s Mom

Anil Mehra: Avani’s father

Kriti: Rishabh’s sister

Anish and Shreya: Avani’s elder brother and younger sister

New Members:

Reyansh and Anaisha – Avani and Rishabh’s Twins

Riya and Veer – Shreya and Kabir’s daughter and son

Myra – Smriti’s 7-year-old girl

Yohan – Anish and Siya’s Baby boy

Aarav - Rehaan and Riya’s son